Machine for handling tobacco



. March 1 1927.

1,619,507 E. GRANSTEDT A MACHINE FOR HANDLING TOBACCO Filed Oct. 8, 1924 Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED," STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

ERIK GRANSTEDT, OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, ASSIGNORTOAKTIEBOLAGEIQ FORMATOR,

OF STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, A CORPORATION. i H A MACHINE FOR HANDLING TOBACCO.

Application filed October 8, 1924, Serial No. 742,454, and. in'Sweden March 12, 1924.

This invention relates to a tobacco machine for removing tobacco portions from a store reservoir and to deliver them t-o-a predetermined place-subject to treatment. The primary object of the invention is to provide 4 a machine of the above character which is reliable in operation in all circumstances inde iendent of the nature of the tobacco, that is, whether it is wet or dry, long or short cut and in addition the machine operates so as not'be used for long cut tobacco while the first mentioned type could not be used for short cut tobacco.

The inconveniences and its advantages are avoided by the present invention in that the tobacco is fed by portions from the store receptacle to a delivery point remote from the receptacle by means of a pincher shaped mem her so that as av result the transferring action of the tobacco can be accomplished with greater precision and as comparatively supported as if transferred by hand thereby avoiding crumbling thereof.

In the annexed drawings one form of embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention is shown. Fig. 1 is a partial sec.- tional side view of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is atop view thereof. Fig. 3 shows the con nection between a driven shaft and the turning shaft for. oneof the legs of the pincher. Fig. 1 is a side view on an enlarged scale of the pincher and adjacent parts. Fig. 5 is a section on the line ti -B of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a tobacco reservoir secured to a vertical shaft 2, which is mounted in the frame 3 and is rotated intermittently from the main shaft 100 of the apparatus by a: mechanism described below so. to stand. still, when thepincher is moved down into the tobacco mass in the reservoir.

4: and 5 designate the two legs of the pincher, which moves upand down into the tobacco mass in the reservoir in such manner as to fetch up a certain tobaccoportion at every time from said mass and to feed it to the delivery place.

The legs 4 and 5 are secured each to one of twoparallel shafts 6 and 7 respectively, by

hub portions 38 and 39. The shaft 6 is turn-v bent similarly to the lever 9 and runs about parallellwithsaid lever 9. .The other end of the lever 13'located at the side of the reservoir 1 is mounted on the pivot 40, which is secured inthe projection 14 of the bearing block 37. The levers 9 and 13 together with the parts (mentioned above),'by which they are suspended, are so arranged as to form a so-called parallel movement mechanism. The arm 9has twohubs 15and 17, which are mounted about the shaft 10 and rigidly connected with each other by means of the connecting piece 16. Extending from the hub 17 is an arm 18, which is movably connected to a rod 19 by means of a pivot 20 engaging a longitudinal slot 21 in said rod, which is driven up and down from the main shaft 100 of the apparatus through a mechanism described below. The device is such that when the rod 19 moves up and down, the arms 13' and 9 will move between the position shown with full lines in Fig. 1 and the position shown with dashed and dotted lines in' the same figure, and that the pin'cher will during the said movements, due to the above mentioned parallel movement mechanism, always be hanging ina vertical position;

Also the pincher legs obtain'their motion to and from each other' at roper times; by means of a mechanism' escribed below driven from the main shaft 100" of the apparatus, so that the apparatus will operate wholly automatically.

The last mentioned mechanism comprises a rod 22, which is driven up and down from the main shaft 100 through a mechanism described below and is connected to an arm 23 by means of a pivot 25, said arm 23 being connected to the turnable shaft 10. The pivot 25 engages a slot 24: in the arm 23, so as to be capable of being adjusted in different positions and locked in the desired position by means of a nut 26. The angle, through which the arm 23 and the shaft 10 turn at the operation of the apparatus,

'may thus be regulated, when required.

The turning movement of the shaft 10 is transmitted to the shaft 6 of the one pincher leg 4 by means of atransmission device, comprising for instance as shown in Fig. 3, a bent arm 50, which is at its one end pivotally connected at 51 toan arm 52 secured to the shaft 10, and at its other end pivotally connectedat 53 to an arm 54 secured to the shaft6. Secured to the shafts 6 and 7 are two gear wheels 81 and 82 having the same diameter, so that the legs will always turn to the same extent, when closing and opening the pincher.

On the main shaft 100, mounted in the frame 3 there is secured a cam disc 108 ccoperating with the .roller 109 on the fork 110, which grasps over a square piece 111, loosely mounted on the main shaft. The stem 112 of the fork is pivotally connected with an arm 113, which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 104 and which is provided with a pawl 114:, engaging the ratchet-wheel 115, which is rigidly secured to the shaft 104;. A bevel-gear wheel 116 which is also attached to the said shaft 104, engages a bevel-gear wheel 116, which is secured to the shaft 2. v

Thus on the rotation of the main shaft receptacle 1 is rotated intermittently.

The .nain shaft is provided with a second cam disc 101, cooperating with the roller 102, which is carried on the one end of an arm 103, the other end of which is turnably mounted on the shaft 104. To this the rod the 19 mentioned above is pivotally connected,

so that said rod obtains its mov-en'ient up and down on the rotation of the main shaft 100.

A third cam disc 105 is secured to the main shaft 100. This cam disc cooperates with a roller 106 which is carried on the one end of the arm 107, the other end of which is turnably mounted on the shaft 104. To this arm 107 the rod 22 is pivoted, so that this latter obtains its movement up and down at proper times upon the rotation of the main shaft.

Commencing-from the position shown in Fig. 1 the apparatus as a whole operates in the. following manner.

In this case the pincher takes up its lower openposit-ion, when the pincher legs reach down to, certain depth into the tobacco mass in the reservoir 1. Then, the rod 22 moves upwards andturns the shaft 10 and thus also by means of the parts 50 to 54 the shafts 6 and 7 of the pincher legs 4 and 5 in such manner that the legs are closed and grasp a tobacco portion. Then, the rod 19 turns the arm 18 in the upward direction, thus lifting the angle levers 13 and 9, so that said levers and the pincher take up the position shown by dashed and dotted lines in Fig. 1. Due to the arrangement and mutual connection of the levers the pincher is all the time held in'a vertical position. i The rod 22 is now moved downwards, whereby the pincher is opened and the tobacco portion falls down in an inclined channel 33 and is led through said channel to the desired place, for instance to a receptacle, in which several portions are collected and pressed together to a single volume, which is then di- Y vided into portions.

The rod 19 is, then, moved downwards, so that the levers 9 and 13 and thepincher, due

the tobacco mass in the reservoir, the

pincher legs penetrate into the mass just to the depth required in order that thedesired quantity of tobacco (portion) shall be grasped by the pincher when closed. The longitudinal slot 21 in the rod 19 permits said rod to move downwards to a certain extent also after the pincher has stopped into the tobacco mass.

7 As mentioned above, the angle, through which the arm 23 is turned, may be adjusted, when required,by displacing the pivot 25 in the slot 24. As easily will be seen, the movement of the legs 4 and 5 will by such displacement beregulated in suchmanner, that said legsopen more or less before grasping the portions, whereby the size of said portions may easily be determined.

Secured to the sleeve 1'? is an arm 34 having an adjustable counter-weight 35 counter.-

acting the downward movement of. the

PlllCllGl: By adjusting said weight it is obtained that the pincher penetrates into the mass to a suitable depth. Said weight may,

obviously, be replaced by an adjustable the lower parts of which are vertical whereas thelegs abovesaid vertical parts converge in the upward direction.

From the above description it is'ev ldent .that sin-apparatus according-to the present most layer of the tobacco independentg of.

its height above the lowermost lay-er,

Obviously, the detail: parts of the apparatus may be modified in different manners without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The apparatus is particularly adapted for use in machines for manufacturing cigars and cigar-cigarettes, it may, however, obviously, advantageously be used also in other tobacco machines, where the tobacco is to be portioned, as for instance in machines for making cigarettes, machines for packing smoking tobacco and the like.

Arranged in the centre of the reservoir is an upright preventing a top of tobacco to be formed at the centre of the reservoir.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America is 1. A tobacco machine including a store reservoir, a driven member, a pincher, and means for causing said pincher to grasp a portion of the tobacco mass in the store reservoir and to deliver it from the reservoir upon the operation of said driven member.

2. A machine'for removing tobacco portions from a store reservoir, comprising a rotating main shaft, a pincher, means for carrying said pincher and means whereby the pincher is moved to grasp a portion of the tobacco mass in the store reservoir and to deliver it from the reservoir automatically upon the rotation of said main shaft.

3. A tobacco machine including a storereservoir for the tobacco, means for removing portions from said reservoir, said means consisting of a pincher, a. mechanism for causing the pincher to descend to the tobacco mass in the reservoir and to penetrate into the mass in an open position and to lift it from the. reservoir in a closed position.

4. A tobacco machine including a storereservoir for the tobacco, means for removing portions from said reservoir, said means consisting of a pincher, a. mechanism for causing the pincher todescend to the tobacco mass in the reservoir and to penetrate into the mass in an open position and to lift it from the reservoir in a closed position,

bacco mass, saidmeans including able we] ght.

reservoir for the tobacco, meansfor removing portions from said reservoir, said means consistmg of a pincher, a mechanism for causing the pincher to descend to the tobacco mass in the reservoir and to penetrateginto the mass in an open position and to lift it from the reservoir in a closed position, and means for determination of the depth to which the pincher penetrates into the toan adjust- 6.. A tobacco machine including a storereservoir for the tobacco, means for removingportionsfrom said reservoir, said. means consisting of a pincher, a mechanism for causing the pincher to descend to the to bacco mass in the reservoir and to penetrate into the mass in an open position and to lift it from the reservoir in a closed position, the arrangement being such that the pincher always leaves parallel with itself, when moved to and from the tobacco mass.

7. A tobacco machine including a store-' reservoir for the tobacco, means for removing portions from said reservoir, said means consisting of a pincher, a mechanism for causing the pincher to descend to the tobacco mass in thereservoir and to penetrate'into the mass in an open position and to lift it from the reservoir in a closed position, said descending and lifting mechanism comprising a system of arms, pivots and shafts, combined so as to form a so called parallel movement mechanism, that is, combined so as to always hold the pincher in a vertical position, when it is moved to and from the tobacco mass.

8. A tobacco machine, including a storereservoir for the tobacco, means for removing portions from said reservoir, said means consisting of a pincher, the two legs of the pincher being each secured to one of two parallel turnable shafts, the connection between said shafts being such that when the one shaft turns in the one direction, the second shaft will simultaneously turn in the opposite direction.

9. A tobacco machine, including a storereservoir for the tobacco, means for removing portions from said reservoir, said means consisting of a pincher. the two legs of the pincher being each secured to one of two parallel turnable shafts, the connection between said shafts being such that when the one shaft turns in the one direction, the second shaft will simultaneously turn in the opposite direction and the one leg shaft being, for one thing, mounted in sleeves at the one end of a relatively long arm, the other end of which is turnable about a shaft mounted in the frame outside the reservoir,

and, for the other, by means of arms and a pivot connectedto the one end of another relatively long arm, the other end of which is mounted on a stationary pivot.

10. A tobacco machine including a storereservoir for the tobacco, means for removing portions from said reservoir, said means consisting of a pincher, a mechanism for causing the pincher to descend to the tobacco mass in the reservoir and to penetrate into the mass in an open position and to lift it from the reservoir in a closed position, and means for determination of the depth to which the pincher penetrates into the to bacco mass, the legs of the pincher being so connected to a driving member of the apparatus that the pincher is automatically opened, when occupying the deliveryposition, and is automatically closed when the legs have penetrated into the mass to a predetermined depth.

11. A tobacco machine including a store- 'mass in the reservoir and to penetrate into the mass in an open position and to liftit from the reservoir in a closed position, the tobacco reservoir being rotatably mounted, means for rotating the reservoir except during the moments, when the pincher is in engagement with the tobacco mass in the reservoir.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature.

ERIK GRANSTEDT. 

